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05 November, 2013

No Time for Invitations

The marines have found the Pirate camp, a small fortified village at the edge of a knoll, descending to a winding stream bed below. Almost 20 men, dressed in the flowing robes of Zanzibari pirates and armed with a mixture of muskets and rifles move around the camp. A small field gun guards the entrance to the camp.
A sudden cry from one building at the edge of the camp grabs their attention. The door flies open as an American hostage staggers through. A pirate leader approaches the beaten man, raising him to his knees. With one swift motion he draws a sword and beheads him. He strides quickly back into the house, closing the door behind him.

Schaefer gathers the squad together in a huddle and whispers angrily: “They just killed one of the prisoners. No time for invitations. We take them, now.”

With Schaefer directing Blain's fire on the pirates gathered outside the fort, Billy leads his team down to rescue the remaining hostage.

Quicker than anyone anticipated, Hamid rushes out of his lair with the hostage in tow. Azzan leads his men past them to see off the attacking marines

Malik's crew prepare the gun for action. Anyone coming through those gates will get a faceful

Hawkins and Eliot take cover behind some crates to give Billy covering fire

Billy leads Dillon around the back of the fort, and they exchange fire with Hamid - missing the hostage (even with the shotgun!). Billy does manage to wound the pirate leader in his leg

Billy advances on the old pirate, as Hamid drop his rifle to draw his sword - somehow he escapes any harm

Just as Billy reloads his shotgun to make sure of Hamid, Omar reaches the stream to open fire on the marines.
Though just as they prepare to do so, Hawkins and Eliot let rip with a deadly fusillade of fire and wipe out the entire group of pirates!

In the confusion, Hamid slips away and crosses the stream at an unknown ford. The marines have failed in their mission, but there'll be hell to pay!

Having advanced up to the wall of the fort, Blain spots a westerner running from the scene - having no time to ask questions he opens up with his Lewis Gun, dropping the man in an instant

Billy leads his team up to the parapet of the fort and their concerted fire wiped out the gun team. But the return fire from the other group inside the fort hits Hawkins and Eliot as they crouch exposed on the walls.

Billy and Dillon are rushes by Rashid's men and Dillon falls to their clubbing. Billy fights them off (though he's wounded) and Rashid races out of the fort and into the jungle

Billy spots movement in the trees beyond, but Schaefer orders them to move out pronto. They need to catch up with Hamid to rescue the hostage and make that rendezvous with the navy's gunboat.